Gum disease affects a significant number of people worldwide, and is a leading cause of tooth loss. Gum disease usually begins with gingivitis, in which bacteria in dental plaque build up, causing the gums to become inflamed. Dental plaque is a soft deposit which forms on teeth and is comprised of an accumulation of bacteria and bacterial by-products. Plaque adheres tenaciously at the points of irregularity or discontinuity, e.g., on rough calculus surfaces, at the gum line and the like. A wide variety of antibacterial agents have been suggested in the art to retard plaque formation. For example, halogenated hydroxydiphenyl ether compounds such as triclosan are well known to the art for their antibacterial activity and have been used in oral compositions to counter plaque formation by bacterial accumulation in the oral cavity. However, while many people would prefer to use natural products such sodium chloride and other natural salts to provide antibacterial activity, the presence of high levels of salt poses special challenges in formulating a toothpaste that has stable viscosity and good striping characteristics. Thus there is a need for novel toothpaste formulations possessing these characteristics. Thus invention is directed to these, as well, as other, important ends.